Mail-crane.



PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908.

I. H. PRINGLE.

} MAIL CRANE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2,1907.

Eluwntcz w; in @0020 IRA HENRY PRINGLE, OF WHISTLER, ALABAMA.

MAIL-CRANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 2, 1907.

Patented June 2, 1908.

Serial No. 395,608.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA HENRY PRINGLE, citizen of the United States,residing at Whistler, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail- Cranes, of whichthe following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inrailway mail appliances, and more particularly to a novel form of cranefor supporting the bag and retaining it in proper position for engagement by the catcher upon the car.

The object of the invention is to design a crane in which the bagsupporting arms are peculiarly mounted so as to be automatically swungto one side when the bag has been removed, thereby preventing injury torail road employees and passengers.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means foreffecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of amail crane embodying the invention.Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the lowerbag engaging arm.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings bythe samereference characters.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 1 designates the standard whichcomprises an upright post suitably braced in any approved manner such asthat illustrated. A frame 2 is located at the upper end of the standard1 and comprises vertically spaced cross bars 3' having openings formedtherein in alinement with each other. Journaled within these openings isan upright rod 4 which is adapted to revolve about a vertical axis. Theupper extremity of the rod 4 is bifurcated and the bag engaging arm 5 ispivotally mounted between the arms of the bifurcation in such a manneras to be swung either into a horizontal or vertical position. Applied tothe rod 4- is a spring strip 12 which engages the bar 5 and normallytends to hold the same in a vertical position, the said spring servingto stretch the mailbag in the usual manner for engagement by the grabupon the mail car. It will be observed that the lower end of the rod 4is rounded as indicated at 6 and rests upon a rounded progaged by thegrab upon the car.

tuberance 7 at the base of the frame 2, the friction due to the weightof the bag being thereby greatly reduced. Projecting from the standard 1is a bracket 8 having the extremity thereof bifurcated and the arms ofthe bifurcation being provided with the upwardly extending ears 9.Pivotally mounted between the said ears 9 is the lower arm 10 of thecrane which is adapted to co operate with the upper arm 5 in the usualmanner. A rearward extension 11 projects from the pivot end of the lowerarm 10 and serves to engage the bracket 8 to limit the upward swingingmovement of the arm. This construction enables the arm to swingdownwardly but prevents it from being moved upwardly beyond a horizontalposition. It will thus be apparent that the lower arm 10 is mounted soas to swing about a horizontal axis while the upper arm 5 is so mountedas to swing about both a horizontal and vertical axis. When the mail bagis supported between the extremities of the two arms in the customarymanner the lower arm 10 prevents the same from being swung to one sideby the action of the wind. As soon however as the baghas been grasped bythe catcher upon the mail car the lower arm 10 falls into averticalposition while the upper arm 5 is thrown upwardly into a verticalposition by the spring 12, both of the arms being moved into such aposition as to prevent injury to railroad employees and passengers.

As has been previously stated the main object of the invention is toprovide a crane which will hold the sack for the grab in the usualmanner, but in which the upper bag holding arm is peculiarly mounted soas to be easily moved aside by any object coming into contact therewith.Owing to the fact that the lower arm does not swing about a verticalaxis the bag will be prevented from being moved into such a position asnot to be en The upper arm is the one by which the engineers and firemenor other employees on the front of the train are always injured, and inthe present instance this arm is designed to be made of very light anddurable material and is mounted upon the upright rod 4 which revolveswith very little friction. It will thus be a parent that an accidentalblow on the head or other part of the body must of necessity bepractically without danger to the person receiving the blow since thearm 5 will ,upper portion of the standard, a lateral arm pivota yconnected to the vertical rod, a spring normally tending to swing thelateral arm upwardly, a second lateral arm projecting from the standardbelow the first mentioned lateral arm and mounted to revolve about ahorizontal axis, and a stop for limiting the swinging movement of thesecond mentioned lateral arm.

2. In a mail crane, the combination of a standard, a frame at the upper.end of the standard, a vertical rod journaled within the frame, arounded protuberance at the base of the frame upon which the lower endof the vertical rod rests, a lateral arm carried by the vertical rod, abracket projecting from the standard, a second arm pivotally mountedupon the bracket to swing about a horizontal axis, the said second armbeing adapted to cooperate with the first mentioned arm and beingprovided with a stop to limit its swinging movement.

3. In a mail crane, the combination of a standard, a frame at the up erend of the standard comprising vertical y spaced bars having aliningopenings therein, a vertical rod journaled within the said openings, arounded protuberance at the base of the frame upon which the verticalrod rests, a lateral arm carried by the vertical rod, a bracketprojecting from the standard, and a second arm pivotally mounted uponthe bracket to swing about a horizontal axis and cooperating with thefirst mentioned arm, the said second arm being provided with a stop forlimiting its swinging movementj In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

IRA HENRY PRINGLE. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

A. O. HOFFMAN, G. W. PARKER.

